AB de Villiers Slams Rishabh Pant's Controversial Dismissal in Third Test Against New Zealand

Rishabh Pant's dismissal in the third and final Test against New Zealand sparked outrage, particularly from former South Africa captain AB de Villiers, who criticized the decision as controversial. After India suffered a top-order collapse, losing five wickets for just 29 runs, Pant looked poised to guide the team to victory with a spirited knock of 64 runs off 57 balls. However, his innings came to an abrupt end due to a contentious call involving DRS.

The incident unfolded when New Zealand appealed for a catch off Ajaz Patel’s bowling. Despite strong appeals from Patel and the close-in fielders, the on-field umpire stood firm. Unconvinced by the initial decision, New Zealand captain Tom Latham opted to review it. Upon examination, the snickometer indicated a spike as the ball passed the bat, but it also coincided with Pant's bat hitting his pads. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the connection between the bat and ball, the third umpire sided with the fielding team and ruled Pant out.

Fuming over the decision, de Villiers took to social media to express his frustration about the "grey area" in DRS technology. He questioned the absence of hotspot technology in such critical situations, stating, "Controversy! Little grey area once again. Did Pant get bat on that or not? Problem is when the ball passes the bat at exactly the same time a batter hits his pad, snicko will pick up the noise. But how sure are we he hit it? I've always worried about this, and here it happens at a huge moment in a big Test match. Where's hotspot?!"

Pant, visibly disappointed with the ruling, had a brief conversation with the on-field umpire before making his slow walk back to the dressing room, reflecting the tension surrounding the decision. This incident added to the already high stakes of the match, as India aimed to salvage a win after losing the series with defeats in the first two Tests.